Canterbury Community Safety Partnership action plan

- Empowering them to fulfil their potential
- Enabling them to have access to career pathways
- Making services available

The rising cost of living has placed significant pressure on many households, reducing disposable income and limiting opportunities for some children and young people.

Children and young people can be particularly vulnerable to crime, including serious crime. This can happen in homes, schools and communities: places where they should feel safe and supported.

We work with children and young people through youth inclusion programmes, schools, colleges and universities to raise awareness of risks and their potential impact.

Local Children’s Partnership Groups bring partner organisations together to improve outcomes for children and young people in Kent. They work collaboratively to understand local needs, agree annual district priorities and use Early Help grant funding to support improvements.

Open-access youth provision across the county has reduced in recent years. To help address this, we will:

• Work with partners to provide a youth outreach project
• Work with partners to support those at risk of child exploitation
• Work with partners to support young people and their development
• Work with partners to support those who work with young people in the district

The district has a significant further and higher education population. To support students and the wider community, we will:

• Work with partners to support our students
• Work with partners to create career support
• Work with partners on reducing harm caused by substance misuse

- Providing systems to allow people to feel safe
- Promoting awareness campaigns to start conversations on key issues
- Supporting out evening and nighttime economy in providing a safe environment

The district includes urban, coastal and rural areas and offers a wide range of places to live, work, study and visit. These include hospitality venues, cafés, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and the district’s coastline.

As a licensing authority, Canterbury City Council has an important role in regulating the evening and night-time economy. Working with statutory partners and licence holders, we support a safe and well-managed environment guided by the council’s statement of licensing policy.

Canterbury being awarded Purple Flag status for the 13th consecutive year in 2025 demonstrates the strength of partnership working across the district, particularly within the evening and night-time economy.

Building on the success of partnership activity over the past year, we will continue to support partners and provide services that meet the needs of our communities. We will:

• Work with partners to share intelligence on matters impacting our communities
• Work with partners to provide safe spaces
• Work with partners to encourage appropriate use of our open spaces
• Work with partners to support retailers and the hospitality industry

- Strong prevention and enforcement measures
- Improving perception, tackling misinformation
- Reducing the harm related to substance misuse

This includes our responsibilities under the Prevent Duty.

Our communities experience a range of issues, including anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. We are committed to preventing these issues wherever possible and taking appropriate enforcement action against those who cause harm.

Anti-social behaviour can affect whole communities by contributing to neglect, environmental decline and reduced confidence in local areas. It can also affect residents’ quality of life and the ability of businesses and communities to thrive.

Our environment is one of our most valuable resources. Rural communities rely on it for business, farming and tourism. Criminal activity, including large-scale illegal dumping and heritage crime, can have serious consequences for wildlife, livestock and local communities.

As technology develops, perceptions of local issues can become as significant to communities as confirmed incidents. We will work with partners to improve public confidence and address misinformation.

Everyone has a role in helping to protect vulnerable children, young people and adults from being drawn into terrorism, and in keeping people in Kent and Medway safe.

The Kent and Medway Prevent team works to reduce the threat from terrorism, radicalisation and extremism. Vulnerable people may also be exploited by criminal groups, including through county lines and drug-related activity. We work with partners to make referrals and signpost people to appropriate support.

To support this work, we will:

• Work with partners to ensure those who hold licences to provide services or products are doing so appropriately, and are supported in meeting the objectives of their licence
• Work with partners to ensure the smooth introduction of the licensing of vapes and other tobacco/nicotine products
• Utilise new technologies to deter and prevent harm within our communities
• Complete surveys within communities to ensure we understand the views of those living within the districts
• Promote appropriate reporting routes

- Providing ease of access to services
- Providing alternative additional support
- Raising awareness within our communities

Domestic abuse can affect people across all communities and may often be hidden. As a partnership, we are committed to ensuring that survivors know what support is available and can access it in a safe, compassionate and appropriate way.

Abuse within the home can be linked to wider harm outside the home. Evidence shows that domestic abuse can increase vulnerability to exploitation, including radicalisation and county lines activity, particularly for people who are isolated or at increased risk.

To help achieve this, we will:

• Work with partners to ensure our Domestic Abuse toolkit is up to date with the latest information
• Work with partners to undertake a Domestic Abuse campaign
• Work with partners who provide Domestic Abuse services
• Work with partners to provide healthy relationship inputs in education settings

- Supporting our communities to support women and girls
- Supporting women and girls in being able to seek impartial advice and support
- Supporting women and girls to feel safe where they live, work, study and visit

Violence against women and girls affects individuals, families and communities. Tackling it requires action from statutory organisations, partners and communities. By working together, we can challenge harmful behaviour, promote respect and support safer communities.

Harmful narratives shared online, including those amplified by influencers, can reinforce attitudes that contribute to violence against women and girls. These messages can also have a negative impact on boys and men by promoting unhealthy views of relationships, respect and masculinity.

To support this work, we will:

• Work with education providers to provide inputs in education settings
• Support partners with enforcement activities, such as Project Vigilant
• Work with partners to promote key messages and raise awareness
• Work with partners for positive role models to work in our communities